This invention pertains to a process for the synthesis of sucrose fatty-acid esters by reacting sucrose and a purified specific component fatty-acid ester under substantially solvent free conditions in the presence of a transesterification stationary catalyst and mechanical emulsification. The process comprises a continuous process for separating mono, di, tri and poly esters into individual products of variable HLB values by separation and recycling the unreacted sucrose and fatty-acid ester.